Ryan' s Copy of BLohr - illustrated poetry terms - Google Docs

Poetry Terms

Personification: A figure of speech in
which an animal, object, or idea is given
human characteristics.

Alliteration: Repetition of consonant
sounds at the beginnings of words.

Rhyme: The repetition of the same or
similar sounds, usually in stressed syllables
at the ends of lines.

Rhythm: Musical quality created by a
pattern of beats or stresses in a line of
poetry.

Onomatopoeia: The use of words or
phrases whose sounds suggest their
meanings. The sound of the word boom,
for example, suggests an explosion.

End rhyme: Rhyme that occurs at the end
of lines.

Internal rhyme: Rhyme that occurs within
a single line of poetry.

Stanzas: A group of lines in a poem set off
by blank lines

Symbol: A person, place, an object, or an
action that stands for something beyond
itself.

Simile: A comparison using like or as

Metaphor: Direct comparison between two
unlike things. It does not use the words like
or as

Hyperbole: Figure of speech in which the
truth is exaggerated for emphasis or
humorous effect.

Free Verse: Poetry written without a
regular rhyme scheme, meter, or form.

Imagery: Language that appeals to the five
senses---touch, taste, smell, hearing, and
sight.

Lyric poem: Short poem that directly
expresses the poet’s thoughts and
emotions in a musical way.

Narrative poem: Poem that tells a story

Rhyme scheme: The sequence in which
the rhyme occurs. The first end sound is
represented as the letter a, the second b,
etc.

Poetry: A form of writing that uses not only
words, but also form, patterns of sound,
imagery, and figurative language to convey
its message.

Sound devices: Techniques used to
create a sense of rhythm or to emphasize
particular sounds in writing.

Meter: Regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables that gives a line of
poetry a predictable rhythm.

Figurative language: The use of words to
create an image in the reader's mind.

Mood: The feeling or atmosphere created
by the writer

Idiom: A phrase or expression whose
meaning is different from what the words
say literally.

Symbolism: A literary device where a
physical object represents something else.

Repetition: A technique in which the same
word or line is repeated for emphasis or
unity. Helps to reinforce meaning and
create an appealing rhythm.

Refrain: Stanza or line that is repeated
throughout the poem.

Couplet: Rhymed pair of lines in a poem.